Maine is the Safest US State Despite its Permit-less Carry Law

According to the lefts’ accusations that guns are the real problem of today’s society and the high crime rates in many areas, it seems odd that a state with the least amount of restrictions to firearms would also be the safest. But that is precisely what has happened.

About four years ago the state of Maine signed into regulation a “Constitutional Carry” law. It allows residents of the state to carry a concealed firearm without having to have a special permit to do so.

Naturally, when the law was first introduced, many opposed it, most of those being from the left. To them, it was a scary notion that anyone could simply be walking around with an armed gun, ready to take aim at anyone who might trigger them to use it.

One member of state legislature even said that it would make the citizens of Maine afraid to go out into the public and would be a source of daily worry and fear. When asked why he was never able to answer.

Another said that it would allow violent criminals to be walking around legally with guns. However, he must have been poorly informed about gun laws because the law clearly states that only those who can legally buy firearms can carry them. Those who do not pass the required background checks or local gun ownership laws aren’t allowed to even purchase or own a gun, let alone carry it around.

However, as the years have passed since the law went into effect, the state has continued to get safer not more dangerous for its residents. In fact, U.S. News and World Report recently named the state as the safest one in the union.

Clearly, the left’s accusations were unfounded and in the wrong.

Furthermore, it proves to everyone just what the right has always said. It is not the gun that is the problem; it the heart of the person using it. Therefore, taking away guns or making them less accessible is not going to solve the problem of crime.

To prove this, let’s look at the current list of the nation’s safest states and how they compare to their respective gun laws.

As we have already mentioned, Maine has one of the least restrictive gun laws and also ranks as the safest state in the nation. Idaho and Vermont also have similar gun laws and, respectively, have the fifth and second spots of the list. However, both Arkansas and Alaska also have these same laws, and yet we find them near the bottom of the list, meaning they are some of the most dangerous states.

Montana, Mississippi, and North Dakota have some similar gun-related laws as well, but find themselves in the middle of the list.

In contrast, New Jersey has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. It comes in fourth on the list of the safest states. Maryland and Hawaii also have strict gun laws and yet is found in the middle of the list. And Washington, which is relatively restrictive as well, ranks near the bottom.

So to say guns are the problem is an inaccurate statement. This list proves that states with very tough gun laws can still be some of the most dangerous places to live. And it’s all because of the people who live there.

If you need more proof of this, just look at children playing together, particularly young boys. To them, everything becomes a weapon. Mom and dad may have rules against playing with toy guns, but those kids are going to find a stick in the yard and make it into whatever weapon they want anyways.

Adults are no different. No matter what the laws are, criminals have always found a way to get their hands on guns and other weapons. Someone who is intent on carrying out violence and hate is going to do so with or without restrictive gun laws. And it’s precisely why violent crimes are four times more likely to involve a knife, a hammer, or even a pickaxe than they are a gun.

It is a people problem, not a gun or even weapons issue. Taking away the right for law-abiding citizens to carry or even own a gun doesn’t make them less dangerous. Instead, it only makes them more vulnerable and a sitting duck when, not if, an attack does occur.